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At midday on February 23, the "Russian March", sanctioned by the authorities, started from the House of Culture "Metroelectrotrans" in Volgograd. The main slogan of Volgograd nationalists was: "Down with Corruption and Russophobia in Governmental Bodies!"

Five law enforcers received gunshot wounds of varying gravity in the course of a clash with suspected militants in Kabardino-Balkaria.

According to General James Clapper, Director of the US National Intelligence Service, the latest steps of the official Tbilisi towards the nations of Northern Caucasus is a factor that could increase the tension in the region.

Nadir Mamedov, a resident of Nakhichevan, said that he was forced to leave the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) because of police pressure. This statement was made at a press conference on February 21 in Baku in the office of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS). The NAR's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) denied putting any pressure on Mamedov.

The litigation on the murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova will be long and scandalous, since it has caused resonance in the ultra-right-wing environment. This is the forecast of Alexander Verkhovskiy, director of the "Sova" Information-Analytical Centre.

Today, members of the Association of Victims of Terror Acts "Beslan Mothers" had a meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev, who came to Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, to hold a sitting of the National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC).

Sochi now sees the final phase of building new residential districts for resettlers from the places where future Olympic objects will appear. About half of the families agreed to the governmental compensations. Most of them hold their housewarming parties; some of the settlers preferred to receive money. However, some citizens still refuse to sign agreements, finding compensation amounts to be inadequate.

According to one of local residents, an owner of the shop selling alcohol was assassinated in a suburb of Makhachkala; however, the Dagestani Ministry of Internal Affairs did not confirm this information.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has noted, when speaking at the sitting of the National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC), held in Vladikavkaz, said that fight against extremists on the Internet, including religious ones, should be waged by creating special resources.

Today, before the court session on the case of Issa Khashagulgov, a resident of Ingushetia accused of possessing weapons, at the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow, journalists of the "Caucasian Knot" Lydia Mikhalchenko and Ekaterina Seleznyova, as well as defendants' relatives, were not let into the courtroom without presenting any legal grounds.

In Georgia, the IDPs (internally displaced persons), who had been picketing the Ministry for Refugees' Matters and Accommodation for five months, have moved into the temporary residence provided to them by the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Today, activists of the youth movement "Ara" (No) and the NGO named "Homeland, Language, Faith" held a sit-down rally in front of the US Embassy in Tbilisi, urging diplomats to help in releasing those convicted on political grounds.

The consideration of the case of the women-citizens of Georgia detained in Malaysia for drug trafficking is scheduled for March 4. This was reported today by Nino Kalandadze, Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia. According to her story, Eldar Davitiani, the husband of one of the detainees, has been already sentenced in Georgia to 15 years of imprisonment.

Tragic incidents in Kabardino-Balkaria will continue. This was stated today at the Independent Press Centre in Moscow in the course of a press conference held by the Ingush oppositionist Magomed Khazbiev, Chechen human rights defender Kheda Saratova and political scientist Geidar Dzhemal on the topic "Tension in Ingushetia as Result of Authorities' Blunders".

The aim of the unidentified criminals, who on February 18 murdered a group of tourists from Moscow in Kabardino-Balkaria, could be the daughter of former FSB head Nikolai Patrushev. The Russian Security Council has already stated that one of the casualties - Irina Patrusheva - was a namesake of the former FSB boss.

On Sunday, February 20, several soldiers were assassinated in a military unit of the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan. According to unofficial information, one of the soldiers shot six of his comrades and then shot himself.

According to the latest data, after the attack on the house of two women in the Khasavyurt District of Dagestan, a 5-year-old girl was hospitalized with a wound in the chest. Now, she is in grave condition.

At the Moscow City Court, where the consideration of the murder case of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova has started today, the defendants Nikita Tikhonov and Evgenia Khasis refused to plead guilty.

Currently, two other Georgian citizens are kept in South Ossetia; while residents of the latter are also kept in custody in Georgia. The Georgian party will continue talks on exchange.

The citizens of South Ossetia, who were released today by the Georgian party side, were kept ignorant about their liberation from Georgia prisons until they were brought to the border with South Ossetia. They told about it to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent and claimed that they had not committed the crimes, for which they were convicted in the territory of Georgia.